The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus such as an image forming apparatus having various functions, including a copy function and a network printer function, and also to a method of updating the data in a flash read only memory (ROM) provided in such an electronic apparatus.
A conventional electronic apparatus, such as an image forming apparatus, comprises a plurality of control boards. These boards are connected to other boards by way of interfaces. Data communication is enabled between the boards connected through the interfaces. A central processing unit (CPU) and a control program, which are used for executing control, and a nonvolatile memory, which stores control data, are provided on each of the control boards. The nonvolatile memory may be a ROM, which does not allow the rewriting of data, a flash ROM, which enables the electrical rewriting based on a predetermined program, or another type of memory. Where the data stored in the ROM (which does not allow the rewriting of data) must be updated, the ROM itself is replaced with another. This entails manual operations, such as detachment of the ROM from its board, disconnection of connectors and other devices arranged between the boards, etc.
Where the data stored in the flash ROM must be updated, a personal computer (PC) is connected to the board, and the data in the flash ROM is updated under the control of the PC. In this case as well, a manual operation is needed. The PC must be connected to the board holding the flash ROM whose data is to be updated. As described above, an electronic apparatus comprising a plurality of boards has problems in that the board holding the flash ROM whose data it to be updated must be first made connectable to a PC or another type of data-updating device, and then connected to the PC. If the data corresponding to a plurality of boards has to be updated, the operator has to connect the PC sequentially to the connection points of the boards. For this reason, the operation of updating the data in the flash ROM is troublesome.
The present invention has been conceived to solve the problem that the operation of updating the data in flash ROMs is troublesome. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to provide an electronic apparatus that enables easy updating of data stored in nonvolatile memories even if the electronic apparatus comprises a plurality of boards. The present invention is also intended to provide a flash ROM data-updating method for use in the electronic apparatus.
An electronic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a first board which has an external interface used for data communication to an external apparatus and which holds a first flash ROM that enables electrical rewriting of data; and at least one second board which is connected to the first board and which holds a second flash ROM that enables electrical rewriting of data, the first board including: a determination section which, upon reception of updating data of a control program from the external apparatus, determines if the updating data is data used for updating the first flash ROM; a first updating section which updates data in the first flash ROM based on the updating data when the determination section determines that the updating data is data used for updating the first flash ROM; and a transfer section which forwards the updating data to the at least one second board when the updating data is not data used for the updating the first flash ROM, the at least one second board including: a second updating section which, upon reception of the updating data forwarded from the first board, updates data stored in the at least one second flash ROM based on the updating data.
A flash ROM data-updating method according to the present invention is applicable to a control system of an electronic apparatus comprising a first board which has an external interface used for data communication to an external apparatus and which holds a first flash ROM that enables electrical rewriting of data; and at least one second board which is connected to the first board and which holds a second flash ROM that enables electrical rewriting of data, the method comprising: receiving updating data of a control program from the external apparatus and determining if the updating data in the first flash ROM is data used for updating the first flash ROM; updating data in the first flash ROM based on the updating data when the updating data is determined to be data used for updating the first flash ROM; forwarding the updating data to the at least one second board when the updating data is not determined to be data used for updating the first flash ROM; and updating data stored in the second flash ROM based on the updating data when the at least one second board receives the updating data forwarded from the first board.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.